Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Synopsis:
City girl Tess Roger's idea of adventure involves putting cream instead of milk in her coffee, so she has no business consulting on a new adventure park. But when her best friend makes her a deal she can’t refuse, posing as a consultant is exactly what she does. Surely she should be able to fake her way through a meeting or two. How hard could it be?

Max Grant isn’t blind. It’s easy to see that the super sexy, consultant put on his account doesn’t know a thing about adventure activities. He can see after only five minutes of meeting her in Hope Falls that she isn’t who she says she is. But there’s something about her and when the chance to take her back to Castle Mountain Lodge comes up, he can’t resist the opportunity.

Lies have a way of building, and with her feelings for Max growing, Tess can’t keep it up for much longer. But telling the truth could mess everything up including the chance for love.

Accidental Gifts is a standalone novella in Melanie Shawn’s Hope Falls Kindle World. It’s connected to Sweet Reunion by Melanie Shawn where you first meet Amanda and Justin with Mountain Ridge Outdoor Adventures. And is also connected to Elena Aitken’s Castle Mountain Lodge Series where you will find many of the characters familiar. It can be read and enjoyed on its own

Genre: Contemporary Romance

My Review:

Accidental Gifts is a novella written in the Hope Falls world but crosses over to author Elena Aitken's Castle Mountain world. It's a story of mistaken identity, with a twist. Rather than being an innocent mistake, it was an intentional deception, but for the best of intentions. I felt for Tess as she fumbled through pretending to be Clara, and laughed along with Max as he figured it out and tried to give her every opportunity to come clean. I love how Tess kept overcoming her fears, first out of loyalty to her friend and then because of her growing feelings for Max. I love how this story crossed over both worlds and the author did a great job of transitioning from one world to the other - a very realistic storyline. A sweet story with a fun premise written in two worlds that I already love.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Living in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains in the foothills of Alberta, Elena spends her days chauffeuring her twins and writing stories – basically, living what she loves! Elena escapes to the mountains as often as possible and can often be found sitting by the water, plotting her next book.

As captain of a San Francisco Bay tour boat, Pru can handle rough seas—the hard part is life on dry land. Pru loves her new apartment and her neighbors; problem is, she’s in danger of stumbling into love with Mr. Right for Anybody But Her.

Fall for him—hard . . .

Pub owner Finn O’Riley is six-foot-plus of hard-working hottie who always makes time for his friends. When Pru becomes one of them, she discovers how amazing it feels to be on the receiving end of that deep green gaze. But when a freak accident involving darts (don’t ask) leads to shirtless first aid, things rush way past the friend zone. Fast.

And then tell him the truth.

Pru only wants Finn to be happy; it’s what she wishes for at the historic fountain that’s supposed to grant her heart’s desire. But wanting him for herself is a different story—because Pru’s been keeping a secret that could change everything. . . .

Genre: Contemporary Romance / New Adult

My Review:Sweet Little Lies is a great first book in a new series from Jill Shalvis. It has a great ensemble cast which form a tight-knit group of friends but also tease the reader with a lot of wonderful stories yet to come. Finn is a wonderful hero, feeling the need to take care of everyone after the death of his parents. He and Pru are alike in that way, although Pru's need to take care of people is focused on a select few and driven by her guilt. Pru and Finn's relationship follows a winding path to happily-ever-after, with a lot of potholes on the way, funny antics by their friends, and hilarious misunderstandings which lead to their eventual happily-ever-after.

The city of San Francisco and the building Pru lives in set the stage for a wonderful story and the city itself is as much a character as the actual characters are. It reminded me much of the movie Singles, with a cast of twenty-somethings living in and working in a building which throws them together and forces them to feel what they sometimes don't want to feel. I look forward to future releases in the Heartbreak Bay series.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s sexy contemporary and award-winning books wherever romances are sold and click on the blog button above for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Synopsis:
Travel back to the loveswept world of Fortune’s Island with New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shirley Jump.

His voice pierced the darkest corners of her heart.

Waitress Jillian Matheson needs a life makeover. The first thing on her “Get it Together” to-do list is breaking up with her fiancé, Zach Gifford, a struggling rocker who refuses to grow up. With Zach on the sidelines, Jillian pursues the dream career she’s secretly craved for decades and finds romance in the arms of a hot, mysterious visitor on Fortune’s Island. There’s just one kink in her plans. Zach’s band has a regular gig at The Love Shack where she works. And, she can’t deny the effect of his velvet-cloaked voice, a voice that can still reach places she no longer allows his hands to touch.

She’s the only song he ever wanted to sing.

Zach thought he had everything figured out—a music career on the edge of a breakthrough and a gorgeous fiancé—until Jillian left her engagement ring on his amp one night and walked out of his life. He is sure that he can get her to remember their shared passion and realize that they belong together, until a new man enters the picture and begins to sway Jillian’s heart.

Is it ever too late for true love?

Just as Zach begins to break down Jillian’s walls of resistance, a dark secret from his past comes to light and threatens to ruin their second chance at love. With shattered trust pushing them farther away from each other than ever before, can these two wounded hearts find their way back to each other before the last song?

Genre: Contemporary Romance / New Adult

My Review:

Can't Get Over You is a sweet story that returns you to Fortune's Island. I struggled with whether to call this Contemporary Romance or New Adult because it really touches on both - the couple is a bit older than a typical New Adult story, but really, neither of them has started their lives, both of them "stuck on pause" in their relationship. I like how the story starts - just after the couple in question has broken up. We then see glimpses of their relationship as the story progresses and each of them deals with the repercussions of their lost relationship. I really enjoyed the story, it felt realistic and touching as each of their emotions spin in and out of each other's lives. Each of them has some soul searching to do, some growing up to do, and understanding what they really want out of life before they can figure out how to move forward with life - either together or separately. External forces pull them apart and push them together and the push and pull was fun to watch. I really enjoyed my trip back to Fortune's Island and look forward to future books from Shirley Jump.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shirley Jump spends her days writing romance and women's fiction to feed her shoe addiction and avoid cleaning the toilets. She cleverly finds writing time by feeding her kids junk food, allowing them to dress in the clothes they find on the floor and encouraging the dogs to double as vacuum cleaners.

Look for her Sweet and Savory Romance series, including the USA Today bestselling book, THE BRIDE WORE CHOCOLATE, on Amazon and Nook, and her new Sweetheart Club series for Berkley, starting with THE SWEETHEART BARGAIN.

Visit her website at www.shirleyjump.com or read recipes and life adventures at www.eating-my-words.com.

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

You asked for naughtier lovers, with the same fierce loyalty as The Bradens - Meet the Bad Boys... Four sinfully sexy, uber alpha brothers, about to fall head over heels for their leading ladies.
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Everything's naughtier after dark...
Amanda Jenner is done being a boring-man magnet and has finally taken control of her love life. As any smart paralegal would, she’s researched the hell out of how to seduce a man. She’s waxed, primped, and ready to put her newfound skills into action—and a masquerade bar crawl is the perfect venue for her solo coming-out party.

Entertainment attorney Mick Bad lives by two hard and fast rules. He never mixes business with pleasure, and he doesn’t do relationships, which makes the anonymity of a masquerade bar crawl the perfect place for a onetime hookup.

Amanda thinks she’s hit the jackpot when she bags a tall, dark, and sinfully delicious masked man—until she discovers the man she’s made out with is her off-limits boss. Mick’s already crossed a line he can never uncross, and one taste of sweet and sexy Amanda has only whet his appetite. When Mick offers to give Amanda a lesson in seduction—no strings, no regrets, and for goodness’ sake, come Monday, no quitting—the tables turn, and Mick’s totally unprepared for the lessons this sweet temptress provides.

The Bad Boys are a series of stand-alone romances that may also be enjoyed as part of the larger Love in Bloom series.

My Review:
Wow! That's all I can say about this sexy, sultry book, the first one in the Bad Boys series. The author teased us with this relationship in the Wild Boys series but boy, it was so much more than that. In a "friends to lovers" and "forbidden relationship" story, we see Mick and Amanda fighting feelings for each other, each looking in different places to fill the hole in their soul they feel without the other.

Mick is an extremely-sexy, overwhelmingly attentive lover. He takes on the challenge to help Amanda become more confident in herself and her sexuality but instead finds himself being drawn into her gravitational pull. While he thinks he's teaching her about herself, she's teaching him how to love - something he thought he wasn't capable of doing. The story is deeply sexual but the relationship development is equally compelling. I always love when a strong alpha- male is undone by the woman in his life. And once Mick admits his own feelings to himself, he goes all out to prove himself to Amanda. A perfect ending to a wonderful story.

"If you're interested in books with super-hot alpha males, ridiculously sexy heroines and need-to-take-a-cold-shower love scenes, this is the series for you!" M. Engel, Book Mama Blog

BAD BOYS AFTER DARK

Mick (now available)

Dylan (coming soon)

Carson (coming soon)

Brett (coming soon)

More After Dark books available now...

About the author

Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance, new adult romance (M/F, M/M, F/F), romantic suspense, thrillers, and historical fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Melissa's emotional journeys are lovingly erotic and always family oriented. Her books have been recommended by USA Today's book blog, Hagerstown Magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the World Literary Café. When she's not writing, Melissa helps authors navigate the publishing industry through her author training programs on Fostering Success. Melissa has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Her interests include her family, reading, writing, painting, friends, helping others see the positive side of life, and visiting Cape Cod.

Note: All material on this web site is copyrighted c2015. No content may be copied or reproduced without express written permission of the author and proper attribution. Requests may be submitted to nancystopper@gmail.com

About Me

I'm a mom of 3 and an avid reader. After not reading anything other than books to my kids, I decided to read for myself. And I was hooked. My Kindle goes everywhere with me - and I mean everywhere. I wore out my first one. I read romance novels: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense, Christian Romance, Historical Romance. I may throw in a Women's Fiction from time to time, and maybe a John Grisham (because who doesn't love John Grisham) but mostly you'll read about my Romance reads. My 2015 New Years Resolution was to write more reviews. When I finish a book, I immediately want to jump into another one, and often do. But the authors I read bring so much to my life with their books and I'd like to give a little back by offering them a review.